Relationship of generalization to awareness in verbal conditioning

Abstract

Students from. the introductory psychology class at the University of Hawaii initially participated in a verbal conditioning session. Following the conditioning task Ss performed a generalization task, at the end of which they were given two post-experimental interviews based on both the conditioning task and the generalization task for the assessment of awareness. It was found that awareness of the response reinforcement contingency did produce significant differences on the conditioning task, yet the reinforcement effect for the non-aware Ss was also clearly demonstrated. However, awareness of the response reinforcement-contingency on the conditioning task did not result in significant differences in generalization. Also awareness of the influence of the initial experiment or of the relationship between the two experiments while performing the generalization had no affect on generalization. Intertrial activity did not produce any difference in conditioning, generalization, or in the determination of awareness. Results were interpreted as supporting the Reinforcement theory of conditioning.